Japan Cuts Okinawa Budget After Election of Anti-Base Governor
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The Japanese government cut funding for the region of Okinawa today, two months after residents elected a governor who is seeking to have a U.S. military base moved out of the southern island chain.
The cabinet approved a 4.6 percent reduction in transfers to the prefecture to 334 billion yen ($2.8 billion), according to documents provided by the Cabinet Office. The cut for Okinawa is the first in five years, according to the office’s website. Japan’s total budget rose almost 0.5 percent to a record 96.3 trillion yen.